Will 2030 bring more breast cancer cases? Study says 'yes'

According to a new report from the National Cancer Institute, the number of breast cancers suffered by American women will increase by about 50 percent by 2030.

The study estimates that there will be 441,000 new cases of breast cancer each year diagnosed in women between the ages of 30 and 84. In 2011, there were 283,000 breast cancer cases.

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“Part of the reason for the rise in breast cancer cases is that the population is growing so there will be more cases,” Philip Rosenberg, a senior investigator in the division of cancer epidemiology and genetics at the National Cancer Institute, said in the study.

Another example cited was the longer life spans of women, as cancer risk increases with age.

The researchers assumed that levels of screening would remain about the same as they are now. They estimated cases include early detection of breast cancer in a precancerous state.

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Breast cancer in women between the ages of 70 and 84 accounted for 24 percent in 2011, but are estimated to account for 35 percent in 2030, according to the study. Rosenberg estimated in the study that there will be fewer breast tumors that are not fueled by estrogen. These types of breast cancer are the most difficult to treat.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women. The CDC recommends getting a mammogram, which can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer.

The findings were presented at the meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

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